Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is one of the most beloved Christmas stories of all time. Every year, Rudolph’s story is told not only through books but also via the stop-motion animated television special and countless song renditions. It’s practically impossible to go an entire holiday season without seeing or hearing at least a trace of this beloved character. Rudolph is adored by children and adults and we can all draw inspiration from the little reindeer’s tale – especially entrepreneurs who need that last push!
Recognize and sharpen your skills to find a niche.
Your Skill Set is Valuable: Use it to Find a Niche
Who would have thought that a reindeer with a glowing-red nose would prove valuable? Other reindeer scoffed at Rudolph’s special talents until they saw exactly what he was capable of accomplishing. In a way, Rudolph was a pioneer in his industry. Even though he didn’t recognize the full potential of his skills right away, he knew that he was different somehow. Half of your battle as an entrepreneur is over if you recognize your skills and fine tune them enough to develop a business plan! Rudolph eventually developed his talents, shed his reluctance, and stepped up to help when the situation called for it…and that’s why his name went down in history.
Don't listen to the naysayers - your ideas are worth something!
You Have Control of Your Ideas
People only have the power to label you as a misfit if you allow it. Don’t let the masses tell you that your ideas are useless! Be confident and market yourself as a solution and people will start to view you that way. You can’t stop the naysayers from naysaying, but you can use their criticism and comments as fuel to power through any dilemma. Rudolph could have kept his glowing nose hidden and idly watched the cancellation of Christmas, but he chose to display the REAL him instead; his self-confidence led Santa to recognize his talents as well. (Be sure not to go overboard with this mentality, though. Make sure there’s actually a demand for your business plan before proceeding, and always do your homework. You have to know something before you market yourself as an expert, otherwise you’ll lose credibility).
Use your experience and expertise to inspire those around you.
You Have the Power to Inspire Others
Rudolph may have felt alone in the beginning, but he soon found other “misfits” who could benefit from his experience. Where would the dolls and stuffed animals on the Island of Misfit Toys be if it weren’t for one brave little reindeer? Without an ounce of fear, Rudolph took the reins (no pun intended) to lead the others and showed them they were valuable after all. He used his experience to teach others instead of dwelling in his loneliness, and he gained new friends (and quite a following) as a result. It only takes a single person to change history, and you could be that person!
Be like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and find a path that suits you. Successful entrepreneurs like Rudolph find a niche, market themselves as a solution to a problem, and inspire like-minded individuals to do the same. YOU are the one who can make a difference in the world, both for yourself and for those around you.
Are there any other life lessons that our shiny-nosed reindeer friend can teach us?
Article by Jill Tooley
Jill has been obsessed with words since her fingers could turn the pages of a book. She’s a hopeless bibliophile who recently purchased a Kindle after almost 6 years of radical opposition, and she loves stumbling upon new music on Pandora. Random interests include (but are not limited to) bookstores, movie memorabilia, comic book conventions, and adorable rodents. In addition to managing the QLP blog, Jill also manages the content development team, assists with the company’s social media accounts, and writes like a fiend whenever given the chance. You can connect with Jill on Google+.
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Let’s not forget about Sam the Snowman, I would follow his every word if he were leading a lecture anywhere, after all he taught rudolph everything he knows!
How could I forget about Sam?
Didn’t Burl Ives do the voice of Sam the Snowman?
How about persistence? Your first promotional product marketing is a great start to getting in front of the faces of potential customers, the key to success is believing in yourself (your service or product) and staying visible, that’s the trick to leading the competition and staying in the lead. Well written article and I love the festive tie into the holiday season!
That’s a really good one! You’ll never get anywhere with customers if you’re invisible to them, and promotional products CAN make you stand out just like Rudolph!
Thank you for commenting and for the compliment! This was fun to write.
I never quite thought of Rudolph as an entrepreneur before, but that’s a clever way to approach the subject matter. Awesome post!
I wonder if Rudolph’s particular skill-set is marketable during other holiday seasons. For example, it would be truly entrepreneurial of him to offer some of the following alternative holiday services:
1) Halloween – He could assist trick-or-treaters (particularly those who are visually impaired) in their travels from house to house.
2) St. Patrick’s Day – He could guide all the drunken, half-conscious college students back to their dorms after their night of bar-crawling and general debauchery.
3) Thanksgiving – Venison tastes way better than turkey! ‘Nuff said.
Thanks! I was totally with you on the first two, but you lost me at three. I can’t believe that you’d even think of consuming a beloved storybook character like Rudolph, Joe! What are you, some kind of monster?!?!
One lesson that I learned from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer; clean up after yourself!
Rudolph is the “Danny Tanner” of reindeers. He never left his droppings behind or on others lawns…
What does this have to do with the entrepreneurial spirit you might ask?
Mind you details. Cross your “i”s. Dot your “t”s. To many times people rush into things, especially a sales pitch via email, putting no thought into the words, grammar, or spelling used in their proposal.
When you can’t use the proper form of the word “to” (2, two, to, too), “there” (their vs. there), or “are” (our vs. are) why the heck would someone trust you with their hard earned money?
It’s all in the details…
BONUS TIP: Don’t forget to wash your hands when you’re done!
Haha, you’re absolutely right! I’m not just saying this because I’m a grammar queen, but proper spelling/grammar/punctuation are VITAL to any business owner. Your customers will get frustrated with you if they can’t understand what you’re trying to tell them!
I agree — bad grammar/punctuation/writing in business-related postings/advertisements turn me off to that business. Then again, it also annoys me in very informal internet settings (i.e., facebook). I must be some kind of internet snob!